The Book On Ant Farming In Douglas County

Growing up on the hardscrabble streets of White Bear Lake, MN, I always wanted an ant farm. Instead, Mom went to a garage sale and got me an Etch A Sketch. She told me it was the same thing as an ant farm only better. I got to control the ants with the two knobs at the bottom.

In addition to beef, dairy, chicken, hogs…your traditional critter type of operations…local fisheries guru Dean Beck says Douglas County boasts 14 fish farms. Or, as I like to call them, Licensed Aquaculture Facilities. Unknown is the number of ant farms in Douglas County.

It’s common knowledge that ants have a lot of Hercules in them. Hoistologists say ants can lift anywhere from 10 to 5,000 times their body weight. This is good to know in case you need help moving a Dorito.

Ant Fun Fact:The world’s largest ant farm is currently housed at Discovery Place Science in Charlotte, North Carolina. It measures 4 feet long, 3 feet tall and 3 inches wide.

I think one of the great injustices is that Douglas County antfarmerscan’t lift 5,000 times their body weight. If they could, they would enter the Olympics, lift a bunch of kilos or Doritos or whatever, and win numerous gold medals. USA! USA!

If you decide to become a Douglas County ant farmer, check with a pest control specialist to see what’s the best kind and what species is best farmed.

Ant Fun Fact:Carpenter ants get their name because they build their nest in wood. Not because rainy days and Mondays always get them down.

Should your ant farm get tipped over and it’s occupants escape, vinegar can kill ants. Also, you’ll want to have on hand what’s called a “shoe.” And, to keep up on your river dancing.